Alexander had said: "This week the public have witnessed the most extraordinary spectacle of the prime minister ramping up the no deal rhetoric on Brexit and backtracking on her commitment to stay in the single market and Customs Union for transition. All because she’s afraid of the most right-wing rabid elements of her own party.

"When prices are going up in our shops, when the country’s credit rating has been cut and when businesses are actively considering moving jobs overseas, don't the British people deserve better than a PM simply running scared?"

May responded: "The Honourable Lady could not be more wrong. First of all we're not ramping up the no deal scenario, we are actively working with the negotiations with the EU to ensure that... we get a good deal, the right deal for Britain for a brighter future for this country."

She added: "It's what I set out in my Florence speech. I recommend the speech to the Honourable Lady."